Chapter 238

Shh, shh, shh…

From within the mist came an unsettling rustling, as if countless beasts were slowly advancing, brushing against grass and tree trunks.

Gulp.

In this inexplicable silence, Joanna could hear the sound of her sisters swallowing nervously.

"…"

They did not know what they were about to face, nor what would step forth from behind the veil.

They knew nothing.

And this, was the fear pressing upon their hearts.

The unknown.

Always the greatest fear in the heart of all living beings.

Joanna's demeanor appeared somewhat better than the others—at least on the surface.

She kept her face taut, lips pressed tight, forcing her fists clenched as she silently recited the holy name of the Goddess of Ice and Snow.

Must not show weakness at this moment.

Yet even as she repeatedly warned herself inwardly, the moment she recalled what Sophie had just said, she couldn't help but cry out in shock.

"Our Lord has returned."

What did this mean?

Was the deity descending?

Or had He returned from somewhere?

Or…

Joanna fretted over it, ultimately placing her hope in that my lord, glancing sidelong in hopes of catching some hint from the "Chosen of the Divine."

But when she saw Unil's expression, she froze completely.

For at that moment, that my lord had abandoned her innocent smile and was now frowning tightly, squinting into the depths of the mist.

Even the Goddess of Winter must take this seriously!!?

Even He finds this troubling?

By the Goddess!

Our Lord, what manner of being are you allied with!!?

As a loyal believer, Joanna was truly worried for her goddess's safety…

Gulp!

Yet as Joanna anxiously waited, the overwhelming pressure began gradually to recede.

Hm?

The half-elf priestess blinked, uncertain if her senses had deceived her.

The dangerous aura had grown steadily weaker, and even the rustling sounds faded away.

What was going on?

Joanna didn't understand what it meant, but she still exhaled a sigh of relief.

Maybe I just imagined it all!

"Phew…"

After the pressure lifted, Joanna could no longer hold back her relaxation and turned again to look at Unil… only to freeze once more.

For at that moment, that my lord's expression was several times more solemn than before!

This!!?

Joanna's heart, which had just settled, rose again—straight to her throat.

Could it be that the identity of the other party is even more extraordinary than I thought!!?

Even He must be this cautious?

The half-elf priestess grew increasingly uneasy, fearing the situation before her was beyond the capacity of a half-elf barely a hundred years old.

Unil looked tense—but was that truly the truth?

And the actual truth… was far more complex than Joanna imagined!

The Goddess of Winter could not discern the other's identity at all.

"…Hm?"

The avatar of Euphemia squinted, her mind racing with thoughts, even doubting her own perception.

"Is this feeling… correct?"

She strained to analyze, attempting to discern even a trace from within the mist—but all efforts failed.

The mist enveloped all, and assimilated all.

She could sense only scattered fragments from the other—mixed with many other people's auras.

"There's Hecath's ice aura, Albath's solar aura, and several other ancient auras I can't identify…"

Who is this person!!?

Euphemia was not among the primordial deities born at the world's dawn, but she was an ancient deity born in the world's early age.

Yet even she did not recognize it—and found it ancient… who exactly is this being?

This question made Euphemia's demeanor grow even more serious; she tightly restrained her own aura, nearly severing all her will from "Unil."

After the Priestess Order of the Ice Goddess stood ready, the slowly approaching shadow finally pierced through the layered mist and entered their line of sight.

It was a towering figure.

His entire body was drenched in black-red bloodstains, the foul blood obscuring his face, making it impossible to discern his original appearance.

Intense killing aura continuously radiated from him, as if solidified, cold and chilling, as though freezing the surrounding air.

!!!

The priestesses of the clergy were clearly startled by this sight, involuntarily stepping back a pace.

They gripped their flails, battle-axes, short hammers, and long whips tightly, trying to gain a sliver of security through such actions.

But it was utterly useless.

Before absolute power, mortal resistance was so feeble.

But what Joanna did not expect was that the strange entity, after speaking, sounded remarkably gentle.

"Oh? Everyone's arrived already?"

The entity nodded at the centaur spirit and praised: "Sophia, well done. You have not disappointed me."

The praised spirit became ecstatic, lifting her head high and thrusting out her chest in excitement.

The voice was soft and calm, revealing not the slightest air of arrogance; it even sounded enchanting, profoundly familiar, making one yearn to submit… No, no!!

I am a priest of my Lord, loyal only to the Goddess—how could I find Him familiar!

Joanna bit her tongue, snapped awake from the pain, and hastily averted her gaze.

Yes.

Absolutely correct!

This seductive beauty… this must surely be the divine incarnation on the mortal plane!

He has truly descended in incarnation.

Joanna swallowed hard, bowed her head respectfully.

"Then, you are the envoys of the Lady of Snow?"

"… "

A gentle voice sounded before her, but Joanna did not reply.

At this moment, a clergy member like herself had no right to speak with a deity.

Among those present, only the Divine Chosen had the right to communicate with the other.

But that my lord seemed unwilling to reveal his presence.

She turned her head toward Yunier and saw that the Divine Chosen, like everyone else, kept her eyes lowered in silence.

Helpless, Joanna took a deep breath, suppressed her inner unease, and forced herself to speak: "My lord… we have come here by the Goddess's command."

Herbert blinked in confusion, watching the nervous half-elf priestess.

"Hm?"

He took in the expressions of all the priestesses and asked in puzzlement: "Why are you so tense? Do I look frightening?"

Frightening?

Joanna felt her scalp prickle and quickly shook her head: "No, we're just… just showing you reverence."

Reverence?

Isn't that still fear?

Herbert tilted his head, baffled—for the first time, he doubted his own charm.

What's with this reaction? Do I look like some kind of villain?

Are you discriminating against me?

How dare you!

I'll tell the Ice Goddess on you!

【"… Tsk."】

The Harmonic God asked in exasperation: 【"Say, before you question others, can't you just look at what you look like right now?"】

Herbert looked down at his own appearance and realized what was wrong.

It really wasn't their fault for misunderstanding.

He'd gotten carried away while rescuing (and exterminating) the wolf pack.

Impatient with their infighting, he'd gone berserk right in the middle of the pack—now he looked like he'd been pickled in a pool of blood.

But… would he admit it was his fault?

No.

"Hah!"

Herbert smiled carefree and declared: "Even if I'm ninety-nine percent wrong, don't they have at least one percent fault?"

The 99-1 Rule really is useful!

"Besides, in a situation like this, why doubt yourself? Just blame others."

Better to blame others than blame yourself.

【"You really are…"】

Nie Nasha, hearing this bold and unrepentant statement, was speechless; after a long pause, she finally managed:

【"Disgusting."】

What an utterly shameless person!

Herbert shrugged, smiling inwardly: "Thank you."

【"I didn't compliment you."】

"I know that—exactly because you didn't compliment me, that's why I thank you."

"If you did compliment me, I wouldn't bother being polite."

【"Enough. Shut up."】

"Heh."

After a one-second mental exchange with Miss Xie Shen, Herbert smiled apologetically at Joanna and the others in reality.

"Oh, I completely forgot such an important thing—wait a moment, I'll go clean up first."

Saying this, he left the bewildered priests behind and strode toward the mermaid by the spring.

"Fu Leimei, help me..."

He opened his arms, intending to embrace Fu Leimei after so long—but was ruthlessly shoved away by her tail.

"Huh?"

He blinked, realizing Fu Leimei was glaring at him with clear disgust.

"Ugh—you, don't come any closer!"

The mermaid who had eagerly prepared to welcome her hero now frowned tightly, pinched her nose, and waved away the filthy, unrecognizable Herbert before her.

Is this really the hero I chose?

Give me back my hero!

"Fu Leimei, you..."

Looking at the disgust on Fu Leimei's face, Herbert suddenly felt like a pitiful middle-aged man who had just finished networking, reeking of smoke and alcohol, and been rejected by his family.

In that moment, Herbert felt the pain of this midlife crisis—impossible.

Herbert was never that fragile a person.

"Hahaha, don't be so cold—help me wash up."

He ignored Fu Leimei's disgust entirely and reached out to grab the tail pressed against his chest.

Splash!

Before he could touch it, a powerful geyser erupted from the holy spring, blasting Herbert like a high-pressure hose and sending him stumbling backward.

"Oh oh, well, this works too."

Hiss—

After steadying himself, Herbert smiled, opened his arms, and let the crisp spring water wash over his body.

Just rinse it all off!

Under the force of the high-pressure stream, black grime turned into dark red blood, continuously streaming down his body.

The blood-mixed filth did not sink into the earth; instead, Fu Leimei controlled it to rise from the ground, gathering into a massive water sphere in midair.

As the blood receded, Herbert's true form was revealed.

Herbert shook his white hair, sending droplets flying, each glinting brilliantly under the holy light.

To thoroughly cleanse himself, Herbert casually unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his perfect upper body.

He looked like a masterpiece carved by the most skilled artist—every muscle perfectly proportioned, radiating primal beauty.

At this moment, his skin shimmered with radiant luster under the light, and a flash of seven-colored radiance seemed to ripple beneath it.

It was no illusion.

After hunting and devouring countless Ghost Wolves, Herbert's magic resistance had risen another tier!

According to Nie Nasha's estimation, Herbert's current magic resistance was nearly on par with that of a high-tier golem—completely immune to low- and mid-tier magical damage.

Of course, this resistance applied only to elemental and mental magic.

Summoning ice spikes or stone spears to pierce him? That was physical damage—totally outside this category.

A mid-tier mage swinging a staff at him didn't count either!

Even so, this was an incredibly extraordinary passive ability.

Herbert's journey to subdue the Mist Ghost Wolves had not begun smoothly.

Facing him, this alien "Wolf King," even though fearful, most wolves resisted rather than submitted.

Herbert didn't bother explaining—he chose the most direct, efficient method.

Kill.

First kill the leader, then kill the defiant outliers.

Kill everyone who refused.

The rest would naturally obey.

Even those pretending to submit but secretly resentful? Fine.

As long as they didn't want to die, they'd come to their senses—and they'd never rebel.

Thus, as the wolf pack following him grew larger, so did the number of wolf souls in his hands.

When Herbert slew the fourth high-tier Mist Ghost Wolf, a subtle change occurred.

He discovered the abilities he gained from the Mist Ghost Wolves had improved again.

His magic resistance had increased once more!

Previous tests had shown that the enhancement effect from the same type of demon beast plateaued after absorbing a hundred—yet the effect was not gone!

The more Ghost Wolves he devoured, the stronger Herbert's feeling became—that quantity was about to trigger a qualitative leap.

Thus, Herbert's conquest grew more aggressive.

At first he was merely a conqueror seeking more followers; later, he became a pure embodiment of slaughter.

Slaughter those who resisted; slaughter wolf packs that showed even a hint of defiance; those who didn't resist? Hmph—keep them alive, wait for them to rebel.

Kill Kill Kill!

With clear positive feedback and the replenishment of his Killing Angel's slaughter power, Herbert nearly lost his mind, feeling himself slipping into utter madness.

Had he not accidentally witnessed Fa'ao preparing to sacrifice himself again and briefly regained clarity and humanity, Herbert would have had to wait for Nie Nasha to forcibly calm him.

In the end, to meet the headcount, Herbert fabricated an excuse and used several high-tier Ghost Wolves as decoys.

"What do you mean, killing the innocent to claim merit?"

"It's called letting them be with me forever!"

"This is a blessing!"

And after his magic resistance rose, Herbert finally, reluctantly, stopped his campaign and returned to his beloved Elda Territory.

This time, Herbert had slaughtered most of the Mist Wraith Wolves across the entire outer ring of the Mist Mountains; the few scattered survivors were not worth his attention.

The remaining thousand wraith wolves had been dispersed around Elda Territory, left to roam freely and await his summons at any moment.

This way, he needn't worry about feeding them, and they could still offer up some of their prey as tribute to Elda Territory.

"Phew…"

After rinsing off for quite a while, Herbert felt his waterlogged trousers were getting uncomfortable too.

But just as Herbert was about to take his trousers off as well… his hand was pressed down by Fu Leimei.

"Mm?"

Fu Leimei glared at him: "What do you mean, 'mm'? There are other people here!"

Herbert blinked, glanced back at the stunned priestess girls, and shook his head at the mermaid Young Lady.

See?

That look was clearly guarding her food.

"Heh."

Herbert smiled, didn't resist, and instead reached out to wrap an arm around the mermaid Young Lady's waist.

This time, the now-clean hero wasn't refused by the Princess.

Fu Leimei wrapped her arms around Herbert's neck, leaned in to sniff him, and nodded in satisfaction after confirming there was no smell of blood.

She flicked a finger and snapped.

*Snap. *

The water droplets on Herbert's body vanished in an instant; all the water elements on his skin were gathered into her palm.

Now thoroughly dry, Herbert smiled, pressed his forehead against Fu Leimei's for a moment, then let go.

With outsiders present, Fu Leimei still wasn't used to any more intimate affection—but the mermaid Young Lady loved draping her arms around his neck and clinging to his back.

Although she realized the behavior might be a bit improper, she stubbornly kept clinging to Herbert.

Whatever!

If you want to watch, watch! I'm staying right here on him!

Meanwhile, on the other side, Joanna suddenly froze at the sight of the "young man's bathing scene."

Not her heart stirring, but her brain stirring.

White hair, grey eyes, a young man…

These features… I feel like I've heard them somewhere before… where was it?

She thought hard for a moment, and a certain person Leila had repeatedly mentioned and complained about flashed through her mind.

!!!

Joanna's mouth fell open, and she blurted out: "You are… Lord Herbert?"

She was a bit dumbfounded.

That arrogant young man Leila had spoken of… was actually the master of a Legendary Spirit?

He was… Him?

Or was he a God-Blessed, and at this very moment that deity had descended into his body?

Joanna, amid her shock, managed to tack on an honorific at the last moment so she wouldn't seem too rude.

"Oh? You know me?"

Herbert, who was currently having his cheek poked by the shy mermaid Young Lady, turned his head and smiled at the words.

"Since you know who I am, that makes things easier. I'm probably the Herbert you've heard of."

"Welcome to my territory."

Herbert walked slowly back in front of the ten priestesses and nodded in great satisfaction.

One high-rank priestess, nine mid-rank priestesses.

Not a particularly lavish lineup, but more than enough for an early-stage town.

Thank you, Goddess of Ice and Snow~

As thanks, next time let me give you a proper grooming!

"Uh…"

Joanna, feeling her thoughts in a muddle, forced herself to ask: "Lord Herbert, you—you really mean to build your territory here?"

What kind of person would build a territory here?

This makes no sense!

Can we just speak plainly?

"Mine? No, you're wrong. This is 'ours.'"

Herbert shook his head and smiled at Joanna, and at them all: "From now on, you will all be living in this homeland together."

"The conditions may be a bit rough at first, but things will get better soon."

What's yours or mine?

It's everyone's!

This is a homeland we all share—let's build it well!

Herbert put it very plainly, but when his words landed in Joanna's ears, they took on a different meaning—clearly, he didn't want to tell the truth.

There must be something hidden here that he's unwilling to reveal to us.

"..."

Joanna thought for a moment, then broke into a relaxed smile, suddenly feeling much lighter.

*Sigh. *

For them, being treated this way was actually quite nice.

After all, we were only sent by the Goddess to cooperate with Herbert, so as long as we live up to the Goddess, that's enough.

Don't ask what you shouldn't ask, don't think what you shouldn't think.

After working this out, Joanna relaxed completely and naturally straightened out her own position.

"Then, during this period, shall we address you as Lord?"

Herbert was very pleased with her understanding: "If you're willing, you may. Of course, calling me Herbert is fine too."

Good.

Important priest resources, acquired!

With a medical unit in hand, I can completely let loose and go find new residents.

Joanna looked around the environment, confirmed she didn't see any more residents, and asked in surprise: "My lord, is it only us here right now?"

Even if we let them live here... it has to be livable, right?

"No, besides you there are some other residents, but they don't normally live here."

"For example, they..."

Herbert gave a whistle, and the next moment, howls of wolves rose one after another from the surrounding mist.

"Or heroes like Sophia — they're all currently dispatched by me."

Heroes.

Although the Heroic Spirit Pool hasn't been formally built yet, and those heroes can't be formally incorporated under my banner, that's only a matter of time.

Anyway, Joanna and the others don't need to know the truth.

And Joanna indeed didn't doubt Herbert's words.

Commanding hordes of magical creatures, leading a legion of heroes... in her eyes, this was simply the most normal thing in the world.

She even felt it was a bit modest, thinking this deity's style of doing things was quite low-key.

After getting a general understanding of the situation, Joanna picked out an area and prepared to build their short-term residence.

"Understood. Then, my lord, my sisters and I will get to work."

Building a dwelling wasn't difficult for the Snow Goddess's priests — they could fully use divine arts to create ice blocks and build an ice house.

"Hold on. Before that, won't you introduce yourselves to me first?"

But just as they were about to start, Herbert stopped Joanna, a very playful smile on his face.

"For instance, this lady who has been on my mind..."

He looked at the girl with a calm face and lowered eyes — Yunier — and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"May I have your name?"

"Lady?"

(End of chapter)